26/10/2023, 18:12 The Process of Crafting a Voice and Tone Guide: How I Did It and What I Learned | by Anca

hat I Learned | by Anca Budau | UX Planet

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The Process of Crafting a Voice and Tone

Guide: How I Did It and What I Learned
Anca Budau · Follow
Published in UX Planet
6 min read · Jan 2

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Photo by Elisa Calvet B. on Unsplash

A voice and tone guide is an important document that tells an organization how to
talk to its target audience in written communications with customers or clients.

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26/10/2023, 18:12 The Process of Crafting a Voice and Tone Guide: How I Did It and What I Learned | by Anca Budau | UX Planet

It ensures that all members of the team are on the same page with regards to the
brand’s messaging by defining the tone, style, and personality of the company’s
written communication.

Starting from scratch when developing a voice and tone guide might be difficult.
Understanding the brand’s personality and beliefs, as well as the demographics of the
brand’s intended consumers, is essential.
Working well with others on the team is essential, as is the ability to strike a balance
between competing priorities from various departments and stakeholders.

Although there are some drawbacks, there are many advantages to developing a
voice and tone guide.

It’s a useful tool for maintaining cohesion and harmony in the brand’s written
expression.

Consistency in tone and style across all points of contact also contributes to a
more united and satisfying user experience.

In addition to helping to build the brand’s voice and personality, a well-written

voice and tone guide can help make the brand stand out and be remembered.

Step 1: Conducting research

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Photo by Ross Sneddon on Unsplash

Making a voice and tone guide begins with extensive research. Researching your
competitors and understanding your target market are two essential first steps.

Knowing who you’re writing for is essential for setting the right tone in your voice
and style guide.
Various methods, like surveys, interviews, and focus groups, can help with this. You may
write a guide that really connects with your readers if you take the time to learn about their
backgrounds, problems, and interests.
The research also includes a critical examination of equivalent offerings from rival
firms. You can set yourself apart from the competition and develop a voice and tone
all your own by studying the tone and style of the content they produce.

Defining the brand’s personality and values is just as crucial as researching the
market and examining the competition. The voice and tone guide will use them as a
starting point for setting the tone and style. Methods for accomplishing this include
group brainstorming and a look at the brand’s values and goals.

Step 2: Defining the tone for different types of communication

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Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Researching and defining the brand’s personality and values is the first step in
developing a consistent tone throughout all forms of communication.

Tone is crucial when creating marketing materials like email campaigns, landing
sites, and social media posts to ensure they reflect the brand’s personality and
values and appeal to the intended audience.

The tone can be more friendly and conversational for a business-to-consumer brand, or it
can be more serious and businesslike for a business-to-business brand.
The tone used in customer service conversations should be pleasant, helpful, and
businesslike. Keep in mind that your customer service representatives are your
company’s public face; their language and demeanor should be consistent with your
brand’s beliefs and goals.

Careful thought should also be given to in-app communication, such as

notifications and alarms. The message’s tone shouldn’t be overly harsh or invasive;
rather, it should fit the situation and serve its objective.

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26/10/2023, 18:12 The Process of Crafting a Voice and Tone Guide: How I Did It and What I Learned | by Anca Budau | UX Planet

A voice and tone guide can be created that is specific to the demands of the
intended audience and the purpose of the communication by specifying the tone for
various forms of communication.

Step 3: Writing and revising the voice and tone guide

Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash

After deciding on a general voice and tone for all forms of communication, you
may move on to actually creating the guide.

Having team members provide comments on a preliminary copy of the guide before
finalizing the document is a smart idea.

Be sure to demonstrate the tone in action with specific instances when writing the
initial draft. As a result, team members will have a clearer picture of how to put the
manual’s recommendations into action.

Guidelines for tone and style, including word choice and sentence structure, as well as any
particular restrictions and exceptions, should be included.
After you’ve finished a first draft, it’s time to get input from your coworkers. This
can help guarantee that the manual is thorough, transparent, and simple to follow.

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The team members who will be utilizing the guide on a daily basis should also
provide input, since they may have useful observations and suggestions to make.

Once comments have been collected, the guide can be updated and improved.
Changes, such as new material or the elimination of old, may be made based on
reader comments. If there are any corrections or additions that need to be made,
please check the guide thoroughly and make them.

Step 4:
Step 4:Implementing
Implementingandand
maintaining
maintaining the voice and tone
the voice andguide
tone guide
Open in app

Search

Photo by Vicky Sim on Unsplash

The next stage, once the voice and tone guide has been finalized, is to put it into
action and make sure everyone on the team knows about it and uses it consistently.

The implementation process cannot begin without first training team members on
the guide. The workshops, talks, and one-on-one meetings that serve this purpose
are all valid options. It’s crucial that everyone on the team is familiar with the
guide’s goals and how to apply them in their everyday work.

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Another crucial step is incorporating the manual into the standard operating
procedures of the business. Incorporating the guide into the company’s CMS, for
example, may necessitate the development of templates or a style guide.

Make sure the style guide is readily available to everyone in the team and that it is
being adhered to uniformly in all written materials.

Last but not least, the manual should be reviewed and updated as necessary. The
tone and style of the manual may need to be revised as the company develops and as
its intended readers shift. In order to keep the guide up-to-date and useful, it should
be reviewed and revised on a regular basis.

A united and integrated user experience relies on product communications that

maintain a consistent and effective tone throughout.

If you have a well-defined voice and tone guide, you can be assured that your
brand’s written communications will always be consistent with its messaging and
values and will always be written in an acceptable tone for the intended readership
and topic at hand.

Possessing a voice and tone guide can help you in many ways. It helps create a
memorable and unique identity for the brand among the target demographic. It can
also promote the brand and enhance the customer experience if all written
communication is consistent.

With the help of a voice and tone guide, businesses can provide customers with a
unified, consistent, and productive encounter. This has the potential to boost
audience trust and credibility, as well as participation and loyalty.

A company may set itself up for success and create a strong brand that resonates
with its audience by investing in the development of a thorough and well-crafted
voice and tone guide.

What are your thoughts on this subject? I would love to talk to you in the comment section
below!

UX Ux Writing UX Design UX Research Ux Strategy

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Written by Anca Budau

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Sharing My Insights With Junior Digital Writers, UX Writer | Copywriter. AI Lover.

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